Orientation is already more than a week behind me! And I still have not put pictures up. We did many useful (and not useful) things on orientation but everyone's favorite part was by far the activity where we walked around the city and looked for about 5 famous sights. We went to the Danish parliament building, housed in what used to be a palace (I believe the name is Christianborg Palace).
Next we went to the Black Diamond, which is the new part of the royal library. It is so beautiful inside! I'm hoping to trek down there some days and sit and do some work with a view from the harbor.
One of my favorite sights was the Church of Our Savior, where my now professor (of my Copenhagen: History and Contemporary Urban Issues) talked to our group about the political significance of the church. In Europe, a lot of the churches were commissioned by royalty to convey a certain message of power, majesty, and control. The church is recognizable throughout Copenhagen for its spiral steeple.
The inside is beautiful! Very simple walls, until you get to the altar! Very dramatic colors and expressions on the statues.
The king Christian IV also did a lot of urban construction, planning, and change. Kongens Nytorv, or the King's New Square, is one of his works (I think).
Lastly, our orientation adventure stopped at the royal palace, which was not built as a palace but as a residence for the new merchant class in the city. After the royal palace burnt down, the royalty moved into this place and, well, just never left!
well, that's a taste of what sights I've seen! I know its a very quick post, but I'll write more soon. I definitely have more to share!
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